Once a host accepts a booking, whether manually or through Instant booking, the guest expects the car to be available at the agreed time and location. Last-minute cancellations can significantly disrupt a guest’s plans. To maintain trust on the platform, host cancellations are discouraged and may result in penalties.
General rules for Host cancellations
Once a booking is accepted, the host is expected to honor the booking.
If a host cancels after accepting, or is unavailable or unreachable at handover time, the cancellation is treated as a host-initiated cancellation.
Host-initiated cancellations may result in penalty fees, regardless of the reason for cancellation, unless explicitly stated otherwise in this policy.
Guidelines on waiving host cancellation penalties
A host may cancel one booking per calendar month without penalty, provided the cancellation is made within one hour of accepting the booking. The one-hour grace period starts from the time the booking is accepted on the platform.
Once this grace cancellation is used in a given month, all subsequent cancellations in that month will incur penalties. Repeated use of grace cancellations may be reviewed and may affect host standing.
Cancellation fees
The fees below apply to host-initiated cancellations only. Cancellation timing is calculated based on the scheduled trip start time shown in the booking.
More than 30 days before trip start: Penalty waived
More than 3 days before trip start: $20
Less than 3 days before trip start: $40
Less than 24 hours before trip start: $60
If a host cancels a confirmed booking, a cancellation fee applies based on the timing above. 80% of the penalty fee is credited to the guest to offset the inconvenience.
No-show
Hosts are expected to remain contactable during the one hour immediately preceding the scheduled trip start time and to make the car available at the agreed start time. A host may be considered a No-show if they are unreachable by the guest or Drive lah Support during the one hour before the trip start time and fail to respond to reasonable contact attempts, or if the car is not made available within 30 minutes after the scheduled trip start time.
Where a host causes a delayed handover during pick-up, they may be required to compensate the guest for any lost booking time by extending the trip where feasible. If the host remains unreachable or the car is not made available after the 30-minute grace period from the pick-up time, the booking may be treated as a No Show, host-initiated cancellation, and the applicable penalties under this policy may apply.
A $100 penalty applies.
80% of this amount is credited to the guest, unless the trip was scheduled to start within 24 hours of acceptance.
Being partially responsive or replying after the trip start time does not prevent a no-show classification.
Instant booking cancellations: Overnight exemption for a next-day trip
If a guest books between 10:00 PM and 9:00 AM, the host may cancel by 9:00 AM without penalty.
This overnight exemption is separate from the one-hour grace cancellation and does not create an additional penalty-free cancellation.
The exemption applies once per calendar month only.
The guest receives a full refund, including processing fees.
After this exemption is used, standard host cancellation penalties apply.
All time references are based on the local time shown in the booking.
Repeated overnight cancellations may be reviewed as part of host performance.
Cancellations by Drive lah:
In rare situations, Drive lah may cancel a booking to address fraud risks or trust and safety concerns.
Both host and guest will be notified.
Hosts generally do not receive earnings for trips cancelled by Drive lah.
In limited cases, host penalties may be waived for verified emergencies at Drive lah’s sole discretion.
Personal scheduling conflicts or availability issues do not qualify as verified emergencies.
Guest-caused handover failures
A host will not be considered a no-show if the handover cannot be completed due to any of the following guest-related circumstances:
Fails to attend the agreed pick-up location
Arrives more than 30 minutes after the scheduled trip start time
Fails identity, license, or verification checks required under Drive lah policies
Refuses to complete required trip procedures
Is impaired, intoxicated, or otherwise unsuitable to drive
Requests changes to the agreed handover arrangements which the host does not accept.
In such cases, the booking will be treated in accordance with the applicable guest cancellation, late arrival, or policy violation provisions. The guest will not be eligible for a refund, and the host will be entitled to the applicable earnings for the booking.
Host-caused car unavailability
A host may be considered to have initiated a cancellation if the car cannot be handed over due to circumstances within the host's control, including but not limited to:
Mechanical issues that were known or reasonably foreseeable before the trip
Failure to maintain the car in a roadworthy condition
Dead battery, flat tyre, insufficient fuel or charging, or missing car keys
Double-booking, personal use, or failure to return the car from another trip
Failure to attend the agreed handover location.
Repeated behaviour
Repeated cancellations, delayed handovers, car unavailability, failure to respond, or conduct that negatively affects guest experience may result in additional action, including suspension of Instant Booking privileges, listing restrictions, account review, or removal from the platform.
Circumvention
Hosts and guests must not attempt to avoid cancellation fees, no-show penalties, reviews, or platform policies by requesting the other party to cancel a booking on their behalf. Drive lah may classify the booking according to the underlying facts regardless of which party formally cancelled the booking.
Important reminders:
Cancel bookings only when absolutely necessary.
Penalties apply to late cancellations and no-shows.
Repeated cancellations may impact host standing on the platform.
Best practices for hosts:
Review availability carefully before accepting a booking or enabling Instant booking.
Contact the guest and Drive lah support as soon as you foresee an issue.
Keep contact details accurate and reachable, especially close to trip start.
Avoid cancellations within 30 days of a trip whenever possible.
Ensure that the car is in good condition before the trip starts.